Switch-lock for motor-vehicles.



G. FRANK.

SWITCH LOCK FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. l. 1913.

1,216,559, Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

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GUSTAV FRANK, F JEFFEBS QN, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 MARTIN J. WHELAN, OF JEFFERSON, TEXAS.

SWITCH- LOCK FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

misses.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2 0%, 191?.

Application filed October 1, 1913. Serial No. 792,856.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GUs'rAv FRANK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jefferson, in the county of Marion and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Locks for Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to switch locks and has for its primary object to associate with a motor vehicle switch, a suitable lock so as to open the circuit when the vehicle is in an inoperative position for preventing the switch being tampered with by unauthorized persons, as it is well known to those skilled in this art that the motor invehicles and the like is frequently started through the medium of a nail or analogous conductor, and the vehicle removed. without the knowledge of the owner thereof.

Another object which this invention contemplates is to provide a suitable indicating means with the lock, which is operated by the lock tumbler, so as to indicate the position of the circuit, the circuit being opened and closed by the operation of the lock tumbler, which incidentally indicates the position of the circuit as above pointed out.

Other objects as well as the nature, characteristic features and scopcof my invention will be more readily understood from the following; description taken in connection with thoaccompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims forming a part of this specification.

Referring to the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. showing the lock plate detached therefrom; and

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings wherein is illustrated the preferred embodiment of this invention, a suitable housing 5 is provided which in the present instance is of an oblong configuration, ,and is made of wood or any other suitable material, having mounted on the interior thereof a suitable reinforcing plate or board 6, said reinforcing plate being provided with an elongated cut-out portion 7 as shown to advantage in Fig. 2 and having 2 is a rear elevation of the same mounted thereon adjacent the cut-out portion an insulating plate 8.

The housing 5 has mounted on one face thereof a suitable lock 9 which in the present instance is an ordinary Yale lock, although any other suitable typemay be used. A portion of the lock 10 is mounted on the interior of the housing, in engagement with the insulating plate 8, being detachably secured thereto by screws 11 or similar fastening means. A cylindrical bolt extends through the portions 9 and 10 of the lock and has mounted on the inner end thereof a disk 19. which has integrally formed therewith a projection 13 the function of which will subsequently appear. A portion of the lock plate 10 is cut-out as indicated at it and shownto advantage in Fig. 3, in which operates a. switch arm 15 the latter having one end rotatably mounted on. said cylindricalbolt, and being operated by the action of the disk '12, the end of the switch arm 15 which is in en agenient with the disk 12 being of a configuration similar to the same, so as to be readily actuated by the engagement of the extension 18 therewith. A plate 16 is engaged over the lock plate 10, so as to incloso the disk member 12 which is associated with the locking bolt, therein, one of the screws which engages the lock plate 16 with the plate 10 beingengaged with a wire 17.

Slidably mounted in the cut-out portion 7 of the plate 6 is a circuit indicating block 18 which is formed of wood or any other suitable insulated material having an elongated recess 19 formed therein. which ongages with a pin 20 the latter depending from the upper end of the cutout portion 7, said block having a portion 21 thereof cut awzty so as to facilitate the actuation of the same by the switch arm 15. The block 18 is normally held in an upward position, which indicates that the circuit is closed, by a coil spring;' 22 the one end of said spring having engagement in the end of said cutout portion 7 and the opposite cud having engagement with the lower ends of the block 18. Any suitable means may be painted or otherwise placed on the block 18 which will register with an opening 23 in the front face of the housing 5, in the present instance the words open and closed being used so as to indicatethe position of the circuit. 1

Mounted on the front face of the housing 5 subjacen't the lock 9 is a switch 24 which is of the ordinary construction, having three pins associated therewith which engage with the switch lever, the pins leading to the bat tery and magneto, while the intermediate pin indicates the neutral position of the switch lever. A suitable conducting wire 25 is associated with the switch and extends through the housing to a battery 26 as advantageously illustrated in Fig. 3, said wire subsequently terminating in engagement with a screw 27 which secures the one end of a conducting clip 28 to the insulated plate 8. The wire 17 which has the one end thereof in engagen'ient with a screw on the lock plate, extends downwardly and into engagement with the switch lever, while a still further wire 29 extends through the housing and in engagement with the magneto in the ordinary manner.

In the operation of this device, the switch lever is actuated so as to operate the motor first by the batteries and then by the magneto in the ordinary manner, as is obvious from the above taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. WVhen it is desired to lock the switch and prevent the tampering therewith by unauthorized persons, a key 30 which is engaged throughthe cylindrical bolt in the lock 9, is turned which causes the actuation of the switch arm,15 in view of the abutting of the extension 13 which is associated with the bolt, and the one end of the switch arm as previously pointed out, the switch arm being thrown in the cut-out portion 21 of the block 18 causing the spring 22 to be compressed and alining the word open with the opening 23 of the housing 5 as shown in Fig. 1. The switch arm 15 is held in a fixed position for compressing the spring by the enlargement 13 ofthe disk 12, the latter being held from movement by the lock mechanism. \Vhen it is desired to closethe' circuit and unlock the switch, the key is operated in a reverse direction from that previously pointed out.

which causes the switch arm 15 to be disengaged from the cut-out portion 21 of the block 18 and throwing the same in the arc of-a circle as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, into engagement with the conducting clip 28, this causing a circuit through the wires 17, 27, 25,29 and the battery 26, and incidentally alining the word .closed with the opening 23 of the housing 5 which indicates the position of theeircuit.

It will be understood that the above de scription and accompanying drawings comprehend only the general and preferred embodiment of my invention and that various minor changes in detail of construction, proportion and arrangement of the parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims and without sacrificing any of the advantagesof my invention. 1

Having thus fully-described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a device of the class described, a plate, a conductor clip adjacent said plate and being insulated therefrom, the said. plate and clip being the terminals of an electric circuit, a rotatable member on said plate, a tumbler rotatably mounted on said rotatable member, an extension 'carried by said rotatable member and adapted to engage said tumbler to move the latter into or out o't. contact with said clip, a block arranged for sliding movement adjacent said plate opposite said clip in the path traversed by said tumbler, and means for rotating said rotatable member, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, a 1'0- tatable member, a clip adjacent and insulated from said rotatable member, the said rotatable member and clip being the terminals of an electric circuit, a tumbler electrically connected with said rotatable member and adapted when moved in one direction to contact with said clip, an indicating block mounted for sliding movement adjacent said rotatable member remote from said clip in the path traversed by said tumbler, and adapted to be depressed by the latter, means for normally maintaining said block extended, and means for rotating said rotatable member, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, a casing, a lock bolt rotatably mounted in said casing, a plate on said bolt, av projection on said plate, a member rotatably mounted on said bolt and adapted to be engaged by said projection when said bolt is rotated to form a positive connection between said bolt and tumbler, a clip at one side of said bolt and insulated therefrom, the said casing being provided at the opposite side with an opening, a block slidably mounted adjacent said opening and adapted to move across the same, the said block lying in the path traversed by said tumbler, a spring for norn'ially maintaining said block extended, a switch on said casing, wires connecting said clip and said bolt with the poles of said switch, and a key for rotating said bolt, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GUSTAV FRANK. 'itnesses G. T. HAooAnn, SAM P. S'rninornnrow. 

